Tier 3 zombies were already a nightmare. Aside from Ethan and Chris, no one in the group could guarantee a clean kill in one strike—and in a fight like this, anything less than a one-hit kill meant getting swarmed.
Skinny Pete found that out the hard way.
He swung at a Tier 3, missed the kill by inches, and before he could recover, another zombie lunged from behind and grabbed his leg, yanking hard.
"Shit—!"
He nearly went down, but Sean was there in a flash. His fire axe came down in a blur—one, two, three—severing the grasping hands before they could drag Pete off the car.
But that moment of distraction cost him.
Zombies surged up on Sean's side. One sank its teeth into his thigh, tearing out a chunk of flesh. Blood sprayed across the hood of the car.
"Ah—fuck!" Sean hissed through clenched teeth, refusing to scream. He gritted it out, swinging his axe in a brutal arc that cleared the immediate threat.
